A vital part of our gender, sexuality, and women's studies program is activism. The Cornell community offers many opportunities for feminist activism and involvement in the surrounding community, including volunteering at places like local domestic violence shelters, anti-violence male coalitions, and organic local farms.

Third Wave Resource Group and Harlan House

Third Wave Resource Group (TWRG) serves as an on-campus resource for activism and support for third wave feminism for all members of, but not limited to, the Cornell community. As a resource group, they provide a safe atmosphere and community that will foster awareness of human rights and diversity issues. It is the goal of TWRG to serve as active agents in the promotion of third wave feminist ideals, bolster equality through volunteer work and education, and examine issues of race, gender, sexuality, and socioeconomic class through a feminist lens.

As TWRG also operates as a Cornell Living and Learning Community, the core eight members reside in Harlan House and organize the events, volunteer work, and programming for TWRG. Weekly meetings are held at Harlan where community members can come and discuss feminist issues, help with events, and be a part of a community that promotes equality, activism, and education.

A central part of TWRG and Harlan House is the open and accessible nature of it as a community as well as its ability to provide a safe and comfortable zone for individuals who feel as if they are unsafe otherwise; community members who feel as if their safety has been compromised may come to the house to be taken to a safe room by one of the core TWRG members.

TWRG also maintains a resource library at Harlan House, with books focusing on feminist issues and other topics that can be checked out by anyone on campus. Men as well as women live in the house, and Harlan currently serves as the only gender-neutral housing on campus, with men and women sharing rooms.

Feminist Symposium

The Cornell community also seeks to encourage feminist/women's academic research. To promote this research, the gender, sexuality, and women's studies program and TWRG co-host a biannual Feminist Symposium. This symposium allows for students and professors to present their research, projects, and artwork that pertain specifically to feminist and women's issues, serving not only to educate the community but also to celebrate the hard work being done by Cornell students. During each symposium, TWRG and co-sponsoring organizations also host a keynote speaker; for the 2014 symposium, activist and author Daisy Hernández delivered a motivational and inspiring lecture to community members. Daisy Hernández is the author of "Colonize This: Young Women of Color on Today’s Feminism."

The Feminist Symposium provides a forum for students, professors, and community members to come together in a scholarly community. It features a wide variety of presentations, on many subjects and in creative formats, researched by students and professors of both genders.